Dexter, Mich.----Hello! My name is Kelsey Trabue and I’m a rising senior distance freestyler on the Bulldog women’s swimming team. I am from Michigan; when I came to Wingate, I felt foreign within my own country! I just had the opportunity to go on a W’International trip to Chile after classes got out this spring…talk about feeling foreign!

Going to Chile was such a great experience! One of my majors is Spanish, so it was great to be able to speak with the Chileans. They were very welcoming and showed all of us a good time.

We first arrived in Santiago after an all-night flight; thank goodness there was no time change! We stayed in Reñaca for the first few nights and visited Valparaiso. While there, we saw the biggest seaport in Chile, as well as the famous Chilean poet Pablo Neruda’s house on the sea. Then we flew down south into the region of Chiloe. It was so beautiful, but cold! At this time of year, the Chile weather is like November weather in Wingate.

While in Chiloe, we saw Neruda’s second home, but more importantly a volcano and the mountains…so gorgeous! We went hiking, which meant excitement for some (including myself) and others apprehension. It was a great experience with wonderful views! While in Chiloe, we stayed in the town of Puerto Varas, which was also very beautiful.

After a couple of days, we flew back up to Santiago for the last two days of our trip. We got to see the city and it was very lively! There are so many people!

When traveling, people are usually concerned with the food. In my opinion, the food was great! We all especially loved the bread that was served at every meal. Unfortunately, I’m allergic to shellfish, which is a staple meal in the country of Chile, but they always gave me a great alternative to what was being served.

My W’International experience all in all was excellent! I am so glad Wingate gave me the opportunity to go on this trip; it was definitely one of the best trips of my life!

WINGATE UNIVERSITY’S W’INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM

Each year, eligible students in their junior year of study are offered an opportunity to spend 10 days abroad with a Wingate faculty member after a semester of study related to the relevant destination. The W’International program, created in 1978, makes a study-abroad experience available to students at little extra expense beyond the semester’s tuition charge.

Since the program’s inception, students have traveled to more than 30 countries in virtually every corner of the globe. Typically, eligible students may choose one of six different destinations. W’International trips either leave after Christmas each year, or after Commencement in May.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private four-year co-educational institution of 2,159 students offering active learning opportunities through personalized instruction, world travel, career discovery and community service.

Wingate offers 34 undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, business, communication, education, fine arts, music and sport sciences. It also offers graduate degrees in business, education, physician assistant studies and sport administration. In addition, the school awards the doctor of pharmacy and the doctor of education degrees.

Bulldog student-athletes compete in 19 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past four years.

Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 36 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 45 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.